City announces downtown traffic restrictions for film project

April 22, 2013

NEW ORLEANS–In preparation for an upcoming feature film in the downtown area, the 1100 block of Tulane Avene between South Rampart Street and Loyola Avenue will close from 10am to 4pm on Tuesday, April 23, 2013, the City of New Orleans announced today.

Uniformed police officers will be posted at the intersections to assist with efficient traffic flow.

After 5pm on Tuesday, single lane closures will continue for the block, as previously announced in a traffic plan being implemented in phases through mid-July. The traffic plan includes parking restrictions, lane and street closures in areas near the intersection of South Rampart Street and Common Street and portions of Tulane Avenue.

Through May 10, one lane will be closed and parking will be restricted lake side of a portion of the 100 block of South Rampart Street. Also, one lane will be closed on the Canal Street side of the 1100 block of Tulane Avenue during this time. One traffic lane in each direction will be maintained at all times and NOPD officers will be on site to ensure traffic flows smoothly.

The City has posted traffic maps and other related information online at http://nola.gov/film, the home page for Film New Orleans. Additional information will be released and posted as it becomes available.

Film New Orleans in the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy and the City’s Traffic Engineering Division have worked closely with the production company to minimize the impact to area business, residents and commuters. The production has also met with all property owners immediately affected by this activity. The plan for lane and street closures will be implemented with temporary signals, additional signs, re-timing of signals, and uniformed police officers posted daily at the intersections to assist with efficient traffic flow.

Film New Orleans assists productions with the City’s permitting process, connects productions with local crew and resources, and facilitates communication between productions and the local community. In 2012, New Orleans hosted 61 tax credit film projects (TV, films and commercials with budgets over $300,000), with direct spending of $669.8 million. In 2011, the City hosted 46 tax credit projects with an estimated $544 million in direct spending.